Vending machines are frequently used for the distribution of food and beverages in public premises, offices, factories, canteens, refectories and the like. Particularly popular are vending machines for dispensing cold and hot beverages, such as tea, coffee, milk, hot chocolate and the like. These machines are usually comprised of a cabinet with an openable front wall or a front door on which a user interface is provided. The user interface includes, buttons, light signaling devices, displays, keyboards, coin slots, card readers and the like, to allow the user to select a particular beverage, to control the dispensing process and to pay the relevant amount. An opening is usually provided in said front wall from which the user can take the cup containing the selected beverage at the end of the dispensing cycle.
Beverage vending machines are known e.g. from U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,453,799; 6,742,553; 5,839,610; 5,265,518; 6,401,597; 5,941,163; 6,098,524; 4,211,342.
Depending upon the kind of beverages for which the vending machine is designed, several facilities, apparatus and devices are housed in the cabinet. Typically, a set of dispensing nozzles are placed above a cup retention position, where a cup is placed each time a dispensing cycle is initiated by the user. Usually, cups are either dispensed from an automatic cups storage unit or are manually placed by the user.
The dispensing nozzles are connected to individual beverage preparation units. Each unit usually includes an ingredient container or hopper. In each said container or hopper an ingredient is contained, which is used to prepare a specific beverage. The beverage is produced for example by mixing a predetermined amount of said ingredient with hot water. The ingredient can be in powder form, grains, concentrated liquids or the like. In some cases the ingredient or product is a freeze-dried powder, which is dispensed by a metering device in a mixing bowl. Water, usually hot water, is added to the powder in the bowl and the powder is dissolved or suspended in the water to produce the desired beverage.
Vending machines usually also contain a coffee brewing unit. The brewing unit is equipped with one or more coffee containers. Each coffee container can contain a different kind of coffee. In some vending machines a first hopper for decaffeinated coffee beans is combined with a normal coffee beans hopper. This allows the user to select alternatively a normal coffee or a decaffeinated coffee.
Electric motors, electro-valves and at least one water boiler and usually pumping means are housed in the cabinet of the vending machine to prepare and dispense the selected beverage upon request. Logic electronic components, such as a microprocessor, and power electronic components, are also provided to control the beverage preparation cycle and to exchange information and commands with the user. Additionally, a sugar dispenser, a spoon dispenser and other facilities and devices, such as payment systems, card readers and the like are provided inside the vending machine.
These machines are subject to periodical inspection, maintenance, filling of the ingredient or product containers and reservoirs as well as to cleaning and to interventions in case of malfunctioning of the mechanical, electrical and electronic parts of the machine.
Inspection, maintenance, cleaning or repairing interventions require access to the various parts of the vending machine. Access to the interior of the vending machine is usually achieved by opening the front panel or wall of the machine. Some of the devices mentioned above, such as typically the cup dispenser, sugar dispenser and spoon dispenser are supported by the openable front wall. Other devices housed inside the vending machine are more difficult to be accessed by the personnel in charge of maintenance, cleaning and repair of the machines.